


We're On The Road To Somewhere

by northernlass49



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-20
Updated: 2014-06-20
Packaged: 2018-02-05 11:55:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1817617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/northernlass49/pseuds/northernlass49
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the wake of her father's death, Sansa is struggling to keep herself and her family together. Then Jon reappears to complicate Sansa's life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We're On The Road To Somewhere

“Mom” called out Sansa, “I’m ready to go now”. Sansa stood poised at the front door, patiently waiting for her mother to go through the ritual. Catelyn Stark emerged from the kitchen a few seconds later, wiping her hands on a tea towel flung over her left shoulder.

“Do you have your phone?” asked Catelyn.

Sansa nodded while patting her right pocket.

“What about your whistle?” added Catelyn peering at Sansa’s neck. 

Sansa reached inside her jacket and pulled out a whistle. She dangled it in front of her mother’s eyes as confirmation.

“Are you wearing your long underwear…and where are your gloves?” demanded Catelyn.

Sansa rolled her eyes.

“I’m wearing the underwear but I don’t need the gloves tonight…it’s not that cold. You know I’ll be peeling them off after about ten minutes of running because my hands will get too warm. I’ll tuck my sleeves around them until I’m warm enough…okay?” replied Sansa.

Her mother nodded in agreement. Her eyes were watery and her face was a mask of anxiety. She pulled her daughter in for a hug.

“Stay safe and come straight home”, Catelyn whispered in Sansa’s ear before releasing her.

Sansa gave her mother a quick peck on the cheek, pulled her hood up over her bright red hair and pulled open the door. As she closed it behind her she breathed in deeply the cold air outside. She carefully picked her way along the icy walkway and driveway until she reached their quiet street. She walked carefully across the packed ice and snow that bordered the road until she reached the dry pavement down the center. She walked briskly along the dry center before turning on to the busier street that connected with her own. Then, taking a deep breath, she broke into a run.

Breathing steadily, her long arms and legs pumping rhythmically, Sansa ran along the familiar streets of the suburban neighborhood she had lived in all her nineteen years. She did her five kilometer run along the same route most evenings and at the same time which was while her mother watched the local news. It was long enough to satisfy Sansa that she was getting enough of a workout and short enough that her mother didn’t worry unduly.

Sansa ran past the elementary school that all the Stark kids attended. It had been sold to another school board a few years ago, a reflection of the changing demographics in the older neighborhood. Then she ran past the park where Robb used to play baseball on summer evenings while she, Arya and Bran played on the swings and chased each other through the sprinklers while Rickon played in the sandbox with his mother.  
She smiled wistfully to herself at the memory of her father shouting instructions to Robb from the sidelines.

“Watch your stance…hold your bat up higher…attaboy…” he would call out in encouragement.

Her father had been dead for about a year now, a victim of an unknown assailant while in Kings Landing on business. Her mother had become a virtual shut-in, a victim herself of her overwhelming grief. The anxiety that Catelyn felt affected the sense of well-being in her children, especially her daughters. Arya, Sansa’s younger sister, reacted by rebelling…staying out past curfew, refusing to call to let her mother know when she was going to be late, sneaking out to spend time with her boyfriend, Gendry, without letting her mother know. Acutely aware that this kind of behavior was simply sending her mother deeper into depression, Sansa became a model of accountability and probity. She made sure to stay in touch with her mother throughout the day and modified most of her activities to help alleviate her mother’s fears. 

As Sansa looped around the neighbourhood she now faced north and ran into a biting wind. She pulled down the sleeves of her jacket and tucked her hands inside, wishing she had worn her gloves after all. The last leg of her run involved running past the dog park. She knew that if she cut through the park then she would find shelter from the wind and shorten her run by about five minutes. She hesitated briefly before turning on to the path that wound its way through the park. Memories bubbled up of happier times playing with her dog, Lady, in this park. Sadly, Lady was dead now, too, after losing her battle with cancer.

She could see a couple of dog owners standing by the fence, chatting quietly as their dogs ran about an enclosed off-leash area. She waved to them as she passed and entered a more heavily wooded area. The air was still now except for the pounding of her footsteps on the snow-packed path and the occasional gusts of wind that shook the bare branches of the trees. Despite the relative silence she didn’t hear her assailant approach until he was already on top of her.

She fell to the ground with a shout and twisted her left ankle as she went down. Her attacker was large and very heavy. As she turned to try and push him away she quickly discovered a white furry face and red eyes staring into her own. His mouth was open wide and on display was an impressive array of very sharp canine teeth.

“Oh dear God”, thought Sansa frantically, “I am about to have my face bitten off by Cujo”.

Then she heard a deep male voice call out sharply.

“Ghost, to me!” he said. Then he whistled. 

Ghost gave Sansa a few quick licks on her cheek with his huge pink tongue and then bounded off to join his master.

Sansa struggled to rise to her feet until she felt the pain in her left ankle. She sat back down in the slushy snow and rubbed her ankle in misery. The owner of the dog knelt down beside her.

“I’m so sorry. I swear he has never done this before. Here, let me help you up”. He stooped down behind her and grabbed her elbows as she scrambled again to her feet. She felt woozy and unsteady. The pain in her ankle was now a dull throb. She tried to take a step and cried out when it was clear that putting weight on her foot was not an option at this time. She was on the verge of tumbling to the ground again when he slipped his hands under her arms and held her tight.

“It’s okay…I’ve got you”, he reassured her.

“Thanks”, she gasped, wincing in pain. Ghost was dancing around them nervously, bumping up against them.

“Ghost…sit!” he yelled as he leaned forward to admonish the dog. And for the first time Sansa got a good look at his face in the moonlight.

“Jon?” she said with surprise. 

There was no recognition in his grey eyes until she pulled off her hood to expose her face and hair more fully.

“Sansa…I’m so sorry…I didn’t realize it was you or I would have said something earlier”, he said sounding contrite. “Look, you are clearly in a lot of pain and my car is just around the bend in the parking lot. Let me drive you home”.

Sansa nodded as she leaned on Jon for support. She shifted her weight to her good foot and used him as a crutch as they made their way to the parking lot. Ghost bounded ahead and was already waiting by the car when they arrived. 

When they arrived at the house, Catelyn was already standing at the front picture window peering anxiously into the street, a phone clutched in her right hand. As soon as she saw Sansa exiting the car, with Jon’s assistance, and limping up the walkway, she disappeared from the window and reappeared in the open doorway.

“Oh, Sansa, sweetie…what happened?” she cried as she reached out to help her daughter. 

“I’m alright, Mom”, Sansa sighed. “Jon’s dog got a little excited and knocked me down. My ankle is really sore and I’m a bit bruised, that’s all”.

Catelyn pursed her lips and glared at Jon. He flushed and looked sheepish.

“Mrs. Stark, she needs to sit and elevate her leg. Do you have an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas that we can use to bring down the swelling?” asked Jon.

Catelyn nodded and turned towards the kitchen while Jon helped Sansa ease herself on to the living room sofa. Catelyn returned with an ice pack wrapped in a towel which Sansa held to her sore ankle.

While Sansa iced her ankle, Jon knelt in front of her, probing the ankle gently but firmly.

“I’m reasonably certain that it’s not broken”, he surmised rocking back on his heels and rising to his feet, “but it would be best to have it X-rayed just to be certain”.

“And what makes you such an authority on medical matters, Jon Snow?” snapped Catelyn, with her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Jon turned to her with a neutral expression on his face.

“I am currently working for the city as a firefighter, Mrs. Stark. I have had extensive training as a first responder and I will be attending medical school beginning next fall”, he replied blandly. Sansa smothered a small smile as her mother’s mouth tightened.

“Look, Sansa…it would be best to get this looked at as soon as possible. I can take you to the after- hours clinic down the hill,” insisted Jon.

“Mom?” asked Sansa quietly, seeking her mother’s approval.

Catelyn gave Jon a hard look but nodded her head in assent.

“Call me if it takes longer than an hour”, called out Catelyn as Jon helped Sansa into the car before climbing into the driver’s side. Ghost stuck his head between them, panting heavily as Sansa ran her fingers through his fur, until Jon gave him a shove.

“You are currently doggy non grata for getting us into this mess”, he declared shifting into reverse and glaring at Sansa as she giggled.

“Don’t encourage him”, he muttered as they drove off.  
***  
The X-rays proved that Jon was correct. Sansa’s ankle wasn’t broken but it was a bad sprain. She was issued crutches and a light compression wrap to use for a couple of days. And she was advised to continue icing her ankle every one to two hours and to elevate frequently it during the day.

“What about school?” asked her mother as she helped Sansa remove her coat. Sansa leaned forward on the crutches and placed some weight on the injured ankle. She inhaled a quick breath as pain shot up her calf.

“I have friends who can help me between classes but getting there and back might be a problem. But I have a few friends with cars who might be able to help me out”, she replied, her face twisted in pain. 

“I’ll get you to and from university”, Jon volunteered. “I’m starting evening shifts for a month beginning on Monday so I can be at your disposal during the day”.

“Oh, I’m sure that won’t be necessary”, protested Sansa.”I’m sure I can find somebody to help me out. I don’t want to put you to any bother”.

“Sansa”, he begged, “please let me do this. It’s my fault that you’re in this situation so let me help”.

Sansa glanced at her mother’s disapproving face before sighing and turning back to Jon.

“Let’s give it a try”, she responded with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

Monday morning dawned bright and sunny with a fresh coat of snow giving the world a clean and fresh look. Sansa downed her coffee as her mother fluttered around the kitchen wiping every surface with a nervous energy.  
“I’ve been thinking about this arrangement with Jon and I have decided that I’m not comfortable with it”, grumbled Catelyn as she scrubbed furiously at a small bit of dried up egg plastered on the smooth surface of the cooktop.

“Why?” demanded Sansa.

Her mother paused and looked up.

“You know why”, she muttered before returning to her cleaning with renewed vigor.

Sansa rolled her eyes.

“Mom…surely you still can’t be holding Jon responsible for that. It was years ago when they were teens”, she replied before taking another sip of her coffee.

“Nevertheless”, her mother continued. “I believe Robb lost that scholarship because of that incident”.

“And”, she added, giving Sansa a very pointed look, “the apple never falls far from the tree”.

Jon had been raised by his single mother, Lyanna, who was reputedly very wild in her youth. At the age of 16, she ran away but returned a couple of years later with Jon in her arms. She was welcomed back cautiously by her family who probed her for details of Jon’s father. And although Lyanna steadfastly refused to name him, rumours persisted that he was Rhaegar Targaryen, the son of a wealthy local businessman. But Rhaegar died tragically in a car accident before his paternity could be confirmed.

Jon, Theon Greyjoy and Robb, Sansa’s older brother, had been inseparable while growing up in their quiet suburb. Five years ago, on a particularly hot July night, the three boys got drunk on some booze that Theon stole from his father’s secret stash and broke into a neighbour’s back yard to use the pool to cool off.

As Jon and Robb floated insensibly with their eyes closed, neither noticed that Theon had slipped quietly under the surface of the shimmering water. By the time they hauled him out of the pool and called 911 it was too late… Theon had died after uttering a final gasp.

Theon’s death caused quite a ripple through the neigbourhood. The boys were charged with break-and-enter and trespassing but managed to get off with a caution. Catelyn blamed Jon for the whole incident while Robb blamed himself. He hit the bottle in earnest and barely scraped by in his final year of high school.

Jon, on the other hand, threw himself into his studies and went on to join the fire service, impressed by the actions of the first responders.

Their friendship became strained under the burden of guilt and they gradually drifted apart. Robb left town to attend business school with the intention of one day taking over the family’s business. He and Jon reunited briefly at Ned Stark’s funeral, later vowing to get together soon to share a coffee and reminisce. But as far as Sansa knew it never happened. Robb was feeling raw over his father’s death and Jon was still too closed off. And both of them were too stuck to move on.

Just like my mother, mused Sansa.

Sansa approached her mother carefully.

“I think that Jon has more than proved that he has become more responsible since Theon’s death. They don’t accept reckless applicants into the emergency services and medical school so I think it’s safe to assume that I will be in capable hands”, she said rinsing out her cup and setting it down next to the sink.

Her mother remained stiff and silent. Sansa limped over to her and wrapped her arms around her mother’s narrow shoulders. Her mother began shaking.

“Mom”, said Sansa soothingly, “I will be okay. Everyone will be okay. We’re all going to muddle through this together”.

“Your sister didn’t come home again last night”, wailed Catelyn.

Sansa leaned against her mother and patted her back.

“Mom, you know she is most likely at Gendry’s. Did you try calling her?” she asked taking her phone out of her pocket. Without waiting for her mother to reply she tapped out a “WHERE ARE YOU?” message. Then she gave her mother a last hug and kiss before gathering up her crutches.

“I have to get ready to go because Jon will be here soon”, she murmured as her mother wiped the tears from her eyes. Sansa smiled when she heard the chirp of her phone receiving a text. She checked Arya’s reply which stated that she was at Gendry’s and would be home later that evening…maybe.

“She says she’s fine, Mom, and that she will call you later”, called out Sansa, hobbling towards the door just as the doorbell rang. Arya and I really need to talk, thought Sansa grimly.  
***  
“Jon, is it possible to listen to something else for a change?” asked Sansa while Jon navigated the morning traffic.

“What’s wrong with it?” he responded defensively.

“It’s a little emo, don’t you think?” she replied as she reached out to give his arm a light touch.

He glanced at her for a split second before gluing his eyes back on the traffic before him. 

“Okay”, he nodded, “your choice… but please…no top 40 stuff or any of that kind of shit”.

Sansa grinned and switched the source of music from Jon’s IPod to the local radio stations, playing with the buttons until she found an alternative station that offered a compromise for both of them.

She and Jon had been commuting to and from school for a few days and had already fallen into a routine of sorts. The morning and afternoon drives were usually long and slow which gave them time to get to know each other better. But apart from polite enquiries about Robb and Lyanna, they stayed away from the topic of familial relations, preferring to keep their conversations light and superficial.

We’re not ready to face the heavy guns yet, she concluded. 

Sansa arranged to have friends meet her at the quad where Jon dropped her off most mornings. On the second day it was Margaery who met her and hauled her backpack out of the trunk while Jon assisted her in getting out of the car. Margaery watched with amusement as Jon helped her don her pack, fussing over the straps and pushing her long hair out of the way so that it didn’t get trapped underneath. Then he gave Sansa a quick, somewhat awkward, hug before jumping back into the car and pulling away to merge into traffic.

Margaery flashed a wry smile.

“Very cute, Sansa…very sweet”,she said with approval. “Maybe a bit too serious and solemn but there’s a lot of potential there”.

Sansa blushed and tugged on her pack impatiently. She hadn’t seriously considered Jon as a romantic partner because there were just too many complications. Still…she wasn’t prepared to rule it out completely.

I can’t walk on eggshells for the rest of my life, she thought.  
***

He was late…very late. Sansa checked her watch again and sent him another text.

Something is wrong, she concluded. Jon was normally very reliable, never failing to let her know if he was running late due to traffic or other complications. But today there was nothing but silence. She was on the verge of catching the bus when her phone chirped. His text offered his apologies and informed her that he was on his way. No explanation was given for his tardiness.

She slumped on the bench and rotated her injured ankle slowly. She had dispensed with the crutches a couple of days ago, choosing instead to challenge herself to putting more weight on the ankle to build up her strength and improve her range of motion. Her mother cautioned her against doing it too soon but Sansa knew she was ready. She was anxious to regain some of her independence and resume her running again.

When she announced to Jon the day before that she wouldn’t need his taxi service much longer she could see the disappointment in his eyes.

“But that doesn’t mean we have to stop being friends, Jon”, she hastened to add. He brightened up a bit at her words.

“I wasn’t sure”, he mumbled while shifting about uneasily. “I know how your mother feels about me…Robb told me. And Robb and I…well, we have a long way to go before we’re really friends again”. 

“I know that you are doing all you can to keep your family together and I have no desire to make your life more complicated than it is”, he added earnestly.

She took his hand and squeezed it gently while he reached up with his other hand and tucked away a lock of hair that had fallen in her face.

On the other hand, she thought wistfully, it would be nice to have somebody to lean on who understands how difficult it is to keep all those balls up in the air.

When he finally pulled up and hopped out the car he was silent. Normally he would greet her as he swung around to pop the trunk to deposit her bag but today he looked morose and his eyes were swollen and red. He’s been crying, she realized with dismay.

“What happened?” she demanded, grabbing his arm as he attempted to escort her to the passenger side.

He looked startled and then struggled to school his face.

“Nothing I can’t handle”, he replied brusquely while closing the passenger door after she had seated herself.

She waited for him to crawl into the driver’s seat and insert the key. Then before he could start the car she grabbed the key and shoved it in her side pocket. Jon’s look was both angry and sad.

“What happened?” she repeated as she searched his face. She refused to let him break off eye contact.

“Shit!” he blurted out as he leaned forward, resting his head on his arms against the steering wheel and staring out the windshield. She rubbed his back reflexively in a circular motion.

“C’mon” she urged him. “Tell me”.

He turned to her and she could see his mouth quiver before he spoke.

“After I dropped you off I was called into work. There was a multi alarm call in a neighbourhood in the east end of town where there are a lot of old row houses. No fucking firewalls, according to the records, so the fire spread quickly. They called everyone in…even those who were scheduled off today. When we arrived an entire block of homes was ablaze and many others threatened to go up imminently. I was sent with a few others to systematically clear these homes before the fire spread to them. After the fires had been put out I was sent back in to check for hotspots and that’s when I found them”.

He paused and his face crumpled.

“What?” she asked softly.

“Kids”, he stammered, “two little girls no older than two or three. They were curled up together in a crawlspace as if they had just fallen asleep. But they were dead, no doubt from smoke inhalation”.

“I had cleared that house myself”, he continued, shaking his head in disbelief. “I don’t know how I missed them”.

Sansa shook her head in sympathy. There could be any number of reasons why Jon failed to find those girls and no doubt an investigation would reveal the reason and result in a new protocol. But for now there were no answers…only a dear friend in dire need of comfort and reassurance.

“Jon, you can’t beat yourself up over this. You can’t always be the hero in everyone’s lives, no matter how hard you try. Sometimes shit happens and there is nothing you can do to prevent it or stop it. Let the fire investigators do their jobs and take it from there. In the meantime, I assume the emergency services provide counseling in these situations?”

He nodded. She leaned in closer.

“And you can always talk to me no matter what time it is…I’m available 24/7 to all my friends because, God knows, I’ve had to lean on them a lot over the past year”, she said quietly. 

She threw her arms around him and held him tightly while he wept. Then she ordered him out of the car and into the passenger seat.

“It’s time for me to take the wheel”, she asserted as she took her place in the driver’s seat.  
***

“What do you want to do to celebrate?” Jon asked as he zipped up his jacket.

Sansa fiddled with his collar and then smoothed it out.

“Dancing…I want to go dancing”, she replied.

He cocked his head to one side and looked at her with a pained expression on his face.

“Really? Are you sure?” he asked hoping she was just kidding.

“Yes, really…it’s fitting”, she replied as she tilted her face up to kiss him on the lips. He wrapped his arms around her to pull her in closer.

“Just tell me when and where and I’ll be there”, he sighed. She drew back and patted his cheek affectionately.

“You’re such a good boyfriend”, she replied with a mischievous grin. 

“I’m such a martyr, you mean”, he said solemnly and as she broke into a laugh.

Sansa wanted to arrive at the club early so they could get a good table by the dance floor. Jon would have preferred a table closer to the exit but this was Sansa’s night. She had much to celebrate. Her ankle had healed completely. She had passed all her exams with high marks and her final assignments had been returned with much praise. Her mother, with the help of a counselor recommended by Jon, was now getting some much needed help and had ventured out of the house on more than one occasion. And after several heartfelt talks with Arya, she and Sansa agreed to cooperate in working together to supervise Bran and Rickon and keep the household running until their mother was able to find her feet. 

And Sansa and Jon were celebrating three months together as a couple. They were off to rocky start as Jon had to work through the turmoil of dealing with the death of the two little girls. The investigation resulted in no blame being assigned to Jon but new protocols were introduced to help avoid such a tragedy from recurring. And the counseling had the added benefit of helping Jon deal with the deeply buried guilt he still felt from Theon’s death. He now felt more at peace.

But, unknown to Jon, Sansa had arranged for one more reason to celebrate. So as they wound their way through the crowded room, he spotted a familiar face seated at a table by the dance floor. 

“Robb!” he shouted, his face lighting up as he pushed his way through the throng of patrons.

Robb rose from his seat and smiled broadly as he opened his arms to greet Jon. They embraced and slapped each other on the backs while Sansa looked on happily. Then Robb drew back to introduce the pretty girl who stood next to him.

“Jon, Sansa…I want you to meet my girlfriend, Jeyne”, he said pulling her next to his side and giving her a quick kiss.

Jeyne held out her hand shyly to shake hands with both of them.

“Jeyne has been my rock over the past few months”, beamed Robb. “I quit drinking and I’m getting my shit together”.

“So…how long have you been sober?” asked Jon after they had received their drink orders.

“73 days, 18 hours and…”, Robb glanced at his watch, “ 12 minutes since I finished my last drink”.

He raised his glass of orange juice, shaking it gently so that the ice cubes clinked together.

“And it’s taking every ounce of self-control not to send this back and ask the server to add a shot of vodka to it”, he added. He took a sip of the drink and set it on the table.

“Look, man”, said Jon leaning forward and resting a hand on Robb’s, “we don’t have to stay here. We can go to a coffee shop like we promised. Sansa and I can go dancing another time”. 

Robb glanced at Jeyne and then shook his head.

“Nope”, he replied, “Jeyne and I decided that it was time to test my limits so here we are and here we are going to stay”.

While Jon and Robb spent the evening rekindling their friendship, Sansa took the opportunity to get to know Jeyne. It amazed her that this quiet and seemingly timid woman had the strength to help get her brother’s life back on track. She fervently hoped that Jeyne had the stamina to keep Robb on the straight and narrow and not let the bumps in the road throw him off course again.

After a few turns on the dance floor, with Jon proving to be as untalented as promised, Sansa proposed a toast.

“To family and friends”, she suggested as they raised their glasses.

“And to Ghost”, she added cheerily as they downed their drinks. 

When they reached the parking lot a few hours later, Robb paused beside Jon’s car while Jeyne started the engine of Robb’s car.

“My license has been temporarily suspended”, said Robb looking embarrassed.

Robb turned to Sansa first.

“I just want to say how proud I am of you”, he said. “I know I checked out after Dad died and if it wasn’t for you I don’t think our family would still be together. Despite that, you still managed to finish your first year brilliantly”.

Then he turned to Jon.

“As for you…I just want to apologize for being a fucking lousy friend”, he said with his eyes downcast. “I know my mother blamed you solely for Theon’s death and, frankly, I let her believe it because it was the easier road to take”.

“Hey, Robb…it’s okay,” replied Jon, resting his hands on Robb’s shoulders. “I’m just sorry that it meant that our friendship fell apart. I’ve missed you so much”.

Robb gave a heavy sigh.

“Me, too”, he replied.

They embraced one more time before the four of them made their goodbyes, exchanged promises to get together again soon and left to go their separate ways.

After pulling into the driveway of Sansa’s family home, Sansa turned to Jon before he could turn off the engine.

“Stay here tonight”, she said. “We’re not done celebrating yet”.

Jon looked confused and concerned.

“Your mother…”, he began.

Sansa shook her head.

“I warned her to expect this and while she is not happy about it she can at least deal with it”, she replied. “Deep down she knows that you weren’t responsible for Theon’s death and Robb’s subsequent love affair with alcohol. At least now she is on the path to getting there”.

She reached down to retrieve her purse and opened the car door.

“Besides”, she smiled as she closed the door, “I need a break from Ghost’s early morning wake-up call of trying to eat my face”. 

She took Jon’s hand as they walked up to the front door and paused briefly to give him a deep kiss.

“I know it’s not all lemon cakes and roses but we have cleared a major hurdle tonight”, she whispered squeezing his hand. “And at least I now have you to run this marathon with me”.


End file.
